This isn't an argument trying to say the 335 is bad. It's my opinion only and I will always love my 335. It just wasn't a great track car once I developed as a driver. Without a lot of money spent that I wasn't willing to spend it was a ridiculous option as a track car, given my history with it.

With the tune and lsd the 335 is better but the cost, reliability, and overall weight are still issues.

The diff for the E36 is purely for optimizing the limited torque. The LSD aspect of it is a benefit but the cost, weight, and reliability are the main benefits of the E36 over the 335 for me.

To be fair, you had an A/T 335 with no tune and no LSD. In that ballpark, I don't think anyone would disagree with you.

I guess I was confused about your cost/weight/reliability argument since every single post has been about how much faster it was.

To be fair, you had an A/T 335 with no tune and no LSD. In that ballpark, I don't think anyone would disagree with you.

I guess I was confused about your cost/weight/reliability argument since every single post has been about how much faster it was.

The 335I is best suited for the highway. In the end, I'm happy with my purchase, here at 100K+ miles. I had a 400 mile/week commute to work and at one point I averaged 30+mpg highway, after changing out my rear diff fluid. Great times. On the track however, the car was/is a money hole from hell, being very very sensitive to the most little mechanical issues, when tracked. Yes, I have an AT, and yes, I am now able to destroy even E90 M3s, but it definitely is something that I tracked for fun, and not for pure speed/times, so I'm not that bitter.

This will probably be my last year owning this vehicle. I will slap on an LSD early march, and set personal best times at some local tracks. After this it's on to a more track worthy vehicle. I like cheap, domestic, and V8, so I'm leaning towards the 2011 Stang GT, or 06/07 Z06. I don't want another BMW, or even another german car in general.

The 335I is best suited for the highway. In the end, I'm happy with my purchase, here at 100K+ miles. I had a 400 mile/week commute to work and at one point I averaged 30+mpg highway, after changing out my rear diff fluid. Great times. On the track however, the car was/is a money hole from hell, being very very sensitive to the most little mechanical issues, when tracked. Yes, I have an AT, and yes, I am now able to destroy even E90 M3s, but it definitely is something that I tracked for fun, and not for pure speed/times, so I'm not that bitter.

This will probably be my last year owning this vehicle. I will slap on an LSD early march, and set personal best times at some local tracks. After this it's on to a more track worthy vehicle. I like cheap, domestic, and V8, so I'm leaning towards the 2011 Stang GT, or 06/07 Z06. I don't want another BMW, or even another german car in general.

Other than heat related to your A/T, what type of issues have you had? I've had the usual misfires due to plugs/coils and weird tune issues. It "seems" to be pretty well sorted right now but it does always seem to be some little nagging issue.

I created a few maps in ATR with misfire detection disabled so that I can get through a track day at 14psi if need be, created some E30 14-15psi maps based on the E30 race maps that Cobb provided (also with misfire detection disabled) so that I have some buttons to push if I needed to get through a track day. Also got a few spare coils, a fresh set of plugs, a spare vanos solenoid, and the usual extra oil/water/brake fluid.

This isn't out of the ordinary for tracked cars; I needed spares for my C5 Z06 also. I actually blew a motor in that car at the track due to oil starvation (spun a bearing @ just less than 30psi oil pressure in a long left. )

The E36 M3 is a great vehicle I'm just wanting info on the 335i issues, and clarifying points made.

Other than heat related to your A/T, what type of issues have you had? I've had the usual misfires due to plugs/coils and weird tune issues. It "seems" to be pretty well sorted right now but it does always seem to be some little nagging issue.

I created a few maps in ATR with misfire detection disabled so that I can get through a track day at 14psi if need be, created some E30 14-15psi maps based on the E30 race maps that Cobb provided (also with misfire detection disabled) so that I have some buttons to push if I needed to get through a track day. Also got a few spare coils, a fresh set of plugs, a spare vanos solenoid, and the usual extra oil/water/brake fluid.

This isn't out of the ordinary for tracked cars; I needed spares for my C5 Z06 also. I actually blew a motor in that car at the track due to oil starvation (spun a bearing @ just less than 30psi oil pressure in a long left. )

The E36 M3 is a great vehicle I'm just wanting info on the 335i issues, and clarifying points made.

My 335I track issues? Where do I begin? Started out stock, w/o oil cooler, retrofitted the oem oil cooler, and ar design stage 1 oil cooler. Still had oil temp issues, until I installed an aftermarket intercooler/downpipe. Now water temps are an issue since I have a 6AT W/FBO, and 18lbs flash tune. I get through track days by hosing down the front radiator between sessions. Temps aside though, I've thrown an amazing number of stupid codes, that crap up an expensive track day. Vanos intake/exhaust solenoid, over boost/underboost, I mean you name it. I don't mess with ethanol, so I can't comment on that stuff, but it did kill my LPFP, which I have replaced.

Every track day, you always are afraid that it will throw some stupid little code, and not perform the whole day. The one bright spot seems to be oil pressure, or engine lubrication issues, as this car seems immune to those issues, even with long term track use. credit the low rpm redline, for this. Luckly, with regular maintenance, my oem engine, trans, and turbos have been flawless, and are 100% functional after a ton of track abuse, and over 100K miles.

Cool those are about what I expected, oil/water temp, vanos, and tune related stuff. Those are definitely in the universe of possibilities with this car.

I've hopefully got the oil temp fixed with the stett stg 2 oil cooler, and I logged water temps at my last track event and they were solid (never really over 210F except when I pulled in off the track into the pits and they would skyrocket... ) Vanos I mean what can you do, except replace the stupid solenoids when they die. Tune related issues are always going to be a bugaboo. I noticed you solved yours by ditching the piggy, I did the same last month. Great minds think alike.

Cool those are about what I expected, oil/water temp, vanos, and tune related stuff. Those are definitely in the universe of possibilities with this car.

I've hopefully got the oil temp fixed with the stett stg 2 oil cooler, and I logged water temps at my last track event and they were solid (never really over 210F except when I pulled in off the track into the pits and they would skyrocket... ) Vanos I mean what can you do, except replace the stupid solenoids when they die. Tune related issues are always going to be a bugaboo. I noticed you solved yours by ditching the piggy, I did the same last month. Great minds think alike.

Here's to a trouble-free 2013.

Good post! cheers, and same to you too. I just don't want anyone to have a false impression of what its been like to try and track this vehicle. I think myself and PeterM1, have tracked this car the most, and we can both atest, to just how much of a royal pain in the butt it was to do so. Btw, you need an intercooler, as I don't see one listed in your sig, especially since you are in dallas. Ironically, I've been in between this forum, and the Z06 forum's classified section. I'm at this point just trying to look at price ranges, so I'm all set to get a used one, end of 2013. This one guy is trying to sell his, and it looks like he blew his previous motor, which had a wet sump system, and then the stealership installed a new dry sump motor for him. I'm trying to stay away from cars with oil starvation issues like the E90/92 M3, or early Z06's, etc.

Good post! cheers, and same to you too. I just don't want anyone to have a false impression of what its been like to try and track this vehicle. I think myself and PeterM1, have tracked this car the most, and we can both atest, to just how much of a royal pain in the butt it was to do so. Btw, you need an intercooler, as I don't see one listed in your sig, especially since you are in dallas. Ironically, I've been in between this forum, and the Z06 forum's classified section. I'm at this point just trying to look at price ranges, so I'm all set to get a used one, end of 2013. This one guy is trying to sell his, and it looks like he blew his previous motor, which had a wet sump system, and then the stealership installed a new dry sump motor for him. I'm trying to stay away from cars with oil starvation issues like the E90/92 M3, or early Z06's, etc.

I have the VRSF 7" IC, catless downpipes and single 3.5" exhaust.

I had a C5 Z06, and they didn't have a dry sump available at the time; now there are aftermarket systems available. I'd look at the dry sump Z06's if possible, but be warned, the GM dry sump is not a pure dry sump... it's kind of a hybrid and does not fully solve all oiling issues. I think the newest revision of it does, but don't quote me.

Here goes the longest run on sentence ever:
Just in case I didn't mention it before, the stripped E36 M3 with full JRZ suspension and reinforcements along with all bushings and a cage with a brand new racing seat and harness including rebuilt calipers for race-worthiness and an LSD with higher final drive and all of the suspension bits new and ARC-8s with your choice of R-comps and more is less than 20,000.

It'll never be crazy fast in a straight line but it does everything right. If I pay $6000 for a new stroked motor with LTW flywheel I all of a sudden have 335 speed and I never need to touch my daily driver, an F30 328.

This just made sense to me although a C5 Vette dedicated track is awesome and way faster.